Thursday, February 1, 2018

Gangsters abound: Tom Tyler in “The Last Outlaw”

One of the most unique turning points
of Tom Tyler's film career was playing a heavy in “Powdersmoke
Range” in 1935, during a time when he was portraying cowboy heroes
for Reliable in the mid- to late 1930's. For Tom, it was simply a
matter of making the most of his versatile acting talent which would
come in handy three years later in “Stagecoach” (1939). It was
one movie in between those two, however, that would see Tom portray a
heavy as well as be paired up with Harry Carey once again: “The Last Outlaw” (1936) from RKO.
In this movie, Tom portrays a gangster who succeeds the recently
paroled Dean Payton (Carey) in the story, his fate ending up in a
very similar manner to the man he meets on the city bus while trying
to maintain the appearance of an ordinary city man.

From the time Dean is paroled from jail
and returns to him hometown by bus, he is hoping for a new lease on
life without having any reminders of his past brought up again. That
all changes, however, as soon as he meets his modern-time replacement
on the bus, a gangster by the name Al Goss (Tom Tyler). Compared to
Dean Payton's manner of dress, a throwback to an earlier time out
west, Al is wearing the finest threads available, plus a white hat
with a wide black band around it. To Dean, Al looks like a
well-dressed businessman, unaware that he is in fact a gangster who
is in the same business that Dean once was. Once Dean boards the bus
he finds a seat next to Al. Al dozes off in his bus seat when Dean
nudges him and asks if he could sit there. Al abruptly wakes up and
admonishes Dean: “What do you mean poking a guy in the ribs?” Al
relents at Dean's request, and moves over to the seat next to the
window on the bus. Dean has trouble with his belongings, but once he
gets settled in, he grins at Al, who in return glowers at him, as if
he is someone who needs to be kept an eye on.

Once Dean reaches his
destination, he gets off with Al following him. Al finally confronts
Dean and challenges him, saying: “For a nickel I'd take a sock at
you.” Dean falls for the ploy and hands Al a nickel, if only to
give him the satisfaction of slugging him. Just as he is ready to
fistfight Al a policeman comes up behind him. The policeman asks Al
what this is all about then replies that he was attending to his own
business. Al is a tough hombre but younger and physically stronger
than Dean is, before handing Dean back his nickel. Al, however,
guarantees that he and Dean will be meeting up again soon, much to
Dean's chagrin; what Dean does not know is that he will eventually
meet up with Al to turn him in to the authorities and put an end to
his criminal activities. In addition to becoming adjusted to a normal
life, he tracks down his daughter Sally (Margaret Callahan), spends
time with friends Cal Yates (Henry B Walthall) and Chuck Wilson (Hoot
Gibson), going to the movies, experiences the era of the singing
cowboys, and longs for the real wild west, if only because that is
where his heart is. Dean will get to experience his dream sooner than
later – and at the same time feel truly redeemed in addition to
serving his time in jail.

In the meantime, Al and his henchmen
make their plans to rob State Bank and as soon as their nefarious act
commences, Dean is in the bank at the same time they are.
Unfortunately for Dean, he is left behind in the position where the
police suspect him as the culprit even though he is innocent. Dean
knows who the police should be following and is willing to help them
catch Al, whose daughter Sally has been abducted by Al and his gang.
Only one diversion takes place on their way to a hideout – the same
one used by Dean only two decades earlier – a stop at a small gas
station to fill up their tank. Just as they are leaving, a news
announcement comes over their car radio regarding the occupants and
the bank robbery. The gas station attendant overhears, and as Al
stands outside the car, he looks around nervously, hoping for enough
time to escape while paying for the gas – which he does. The
gangsters hurriedly leave and continue on their way to the hideout,
and after a brief repudiation towards Al by one of his own men as to
its location, eventually arrive there.

As leader of operations, including
control over Sally in their possession, Al calls the defense shots
when Dean, Cal and Chuck arrive and hide behind an outcropping of
rocks at the top of the hill above the hideout cabin. Both sides son
engage in gunfire, with Dean and his pals at an advantage: they
attempt to drive everyone out of the cabin, carefully planted bullets
in the barrel holding a water supply connected to the house, the
stove pipe jutting out of the roof, the water bucket carried by
Sally, the tires on the getaway car, even the car radio as it plays
“My Heart's on the Trail”, the theme song to the movie they just
saw recently.

Independent
Exhibitors Film Bulletin, June 3, 1936
states the following: “Tom Tyler is seen in the strange role of
one of the gangsters and he risks audience sympathy by playing the
part for all it's worth.” It is only when Tom, his gang and Sally
are hiding out at a deserted ranch house that he utilises his voice
to perfection: the monotone gravelly dictates such as “We need
water”, eventually grabbing Sally and hiding behind her as he
escapes from Dean Payton out the cabin's front door. This iconic
scene, which became a promotional item for “The Last Outlaw” in
both lobby cards and one-sheet posters, a characterization of Tom
Tyler never before seen in any films he previously made. Who could
imagine Tom making a getaway while using a woman as bait? Yet he
pulled off the scene beautifully in the movie, including his escape,
which permits the viewer to imagine that is exactly how Harry Carey's
Dean Payton was captured two decades earlier. While
“Powdersmoke Range” places Tom Tyler not only in close proximity
with Harrey Carey near the end – but also an emotional closeness,
“The Last Outlaw” places him at a considerable distance – even
placing Sally between them – while the closeness remains one at
heart: being the true successor of a mastermind criminal from twenty
years earlier, and just like Dean Payton, is caught, although not by
Dean himself but by his friend Cal. Not surprisingly, Tom's
performance ranks high as usual, playing off Harry Carey's portrayal
of an aged criminal nicely without obvious rivalry. Written by E.
Murray Campbell and John Ford, and directed
by Christy Cabanne who would later direct Tom in “The Mummy's
Hand”, “The Last Outlaw” is a B-western that ranks up there
with “Powdersmoke Range” in having big-named stars playing major
roles. Most importantly, “The Last Outlaw” offers Tom Tyler fans
a glimpse into a very different type of character played onscreen,
apart from his typical hero-type starring roles.